How do,
Again, we seem to choose the sunniest day of the year to be cooped up in a car as we travel 136 miles to Coventry for a game of bowling.
"Sam, you know that there wasn't many people at the York final, I wonder if all the good people from the last final won't be there." said Lisa, filling ourselves with confidence somewhat. Looking back to last year's final, it was a harsh lesson in bowling. We arrived to hoards of people carrying bag after bag of their own balls and equipment and strikes weren't exactly unfamiliar to these people.
However, maybe the problems I had before in the local final may have kept some of the elite away.
Soon after arriving. Yes, the number of people was fewer than last year, but guess what. It's just the elite players! I recognised half of them and swear down that they've brought even more of their own balls this time! Me, I haven't used my own in years and have resorted back to house balls. This time, the odds were tipped in my favour. I found a ball which I liked using after last year's struggles. Thanks to the lady behind the desk.
The area near the lanes was a pit of madness. Jammed full with so much equipment and people! Practice was like a mosh pit with people moving all over the place taking turns. However it turned out I was with a fellow York lad, 4th placed Andy who replaced Chris who was at Leeds fest. Our venue is the only place where the finalists haven't brought their own balls. But we were still confident that we could get a high place despite this.
The first frame of the first game filled me with such confidence. A crunching strike seemed to end any uncertainty that the search for elusive strikes from last year was over. I stepped up and took my next shot....
... 6 - miss.
Yup, that strike was one of two of the afternoon!
The 'Coventry Curse' struck again where half way in the second game after each ball left one pin standing I couldn't help but laugh. Even some of the guys wearing so much arm-brace equipment they looked like The Terminator couldn't believe it.
It just wasn't falling my way and neither was it for my new friend Andy. However it was for one of the guys on my lane. Glen brought about 5 balls and only used two, but let me tell you I'm not taking the piss out of this dude any more because his shots looked like cruise missiles and were laser accurate. He got strikes all the way til the 8th frame and we were all gutted when a completely twat of a split was still standing. To his credit, he nailed that too.
Meanwhile it was 9 spare, 7 spare, 8 spare, for me and same for Andy. We soon gave up hope in Glen's relentless consistency and to be honest we were glad to finish. I mean our performances weren't bad but they do nothing when you're playing at this level.
Unsurprisingly, Glen topped the sheets and took home the £3000 prize by one pin over second placed Daniel. Meanwhile quite nicely all the York guys came next to each other. With me in the middle at 43rd. Technically an improvement on last year's performance of 69th.
Shame, but really I haven't been bowling as much at all this year. Again, comedy has got in the damn way again. I'm happy with what I got this year and it was nice to get so far once again. But I definitely need some work in some areas before I have a shot at the top spot.
I know I can reach that high, that's the worst part.
Thanks for your support guys! Next year!!
SJB
